Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Placement
• Part 2 of 3: Gameplay and checkers moves
• Part 3 of 3: Clarifying the Rules

In Chinese checkers, the goal of the game is to move your checkers (also called "pegs") to the corner of the corresponding color before your opponents. Despite the name, this interesting tactical game was not invented in China and is not a checkers in the usual sense. It originated in Germany and is a simplified version of the American game Halma. The game can take part from two to six players. Follow the original rules or create your own to spice up your Chinese checkers game.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Placement

1. 1 Check out the game board. The board has the shape of a six-pointed star, in each ray of which there are ten holes (fields). The inner hexagon of the board is also filled with holes, so there are five holes along each side of the hexagon.
   • On most Chinese checker boards, each triangle has a different color. There are also six sets of checkers or pegs, each of which corresponds to one of the colors of the triangles.
2. 2 Select the triangles with which you will start the game. The number of triangles per player depends on the number of players. The game can be played by two, three, four or six.
   • In a two-player game, opponents choose those triangles that are opposite each other.
   • In a three-player game, opponents use every other triangle. Moreover, there must be one empty triangle between each initial triangle.
   • In a six-player game, each player uses one triangle.
3. 3 Place checkers in the holes. Take ten checkers of the same color as your chosen triangle. However, not all Chinese checkers boards have colored triangles. In this case, choose checkers of any color you like.
   • Although usually each opponent plays ten checkers regardless of the number of participants, if desired, you can change the number of checkers depending on the number of players.
   • For example, if six people are playing, each of them uses ten checkers, while with four participants, each opponent can have 13 checkers, and in a two-player game, 19 checkers can be used.
4. 4 Flip a coin to determine who goes first. Select heads or tails and flip a coin. Players take turns, and if several opponents guessed the result of throwing a coin, flip it again. The one who guesses the result correctly the maximum number of times will move first.
   • You can determine the order of the move by other methods. For example, you can draw straws of different lengths or play a game of rock, scissors, paper.

Part 2 of 3: Gameplay and checkers moves

1. 1 Make moves. After the first player makes his move, the right to move goes to the next participant. Continue to walk in turns from right to left until the turn again comes to the one who went first. Then the moves are repeated in a circle.
2. 2 Strive to occupy the opposite triangle with your checkers. You can move your checkers around the board in any direction. You can even use them to enter other people's triangles that are not currently occupied by other checkers. To win, you need to place all ten of your checkers in the opposite triangle from where you started the game.
3. 3 In one move, the checker moves to an adjacent field (hole). Checkers can move in all directions: left, right, forward and backward. During a turn, you can move one checker to an adjacent field, unless you decide to "jump" over another checker with it.
4. 4 Jump over the checkers. Another way to make a move is to "jump" with your checker over a nearby checker to the free square behind it. Only one checker should separate you from the free square, and this square should be located immediately behind this checker in the same direction in which you make your move.
   • During your move, you can "jump" over a checker only if during the same move you did not move your checker to a free square adjacent to it.
   • You can jump over both your own and other people's checkers in any direction.
   • In one move, you can jump over with one checker as many times as possible. Each jumped checker must be in line with the current position of your checker.
   • This is the only way to move your checker several times in one move, and in principle, in this way, you can jump with a checker across the entire board.
5. 5 Do not remove checkers from the board. Unlike ordinary checkers, in Chinese checkers, the checkers that you jumped over are not removed from the board. They remain in place until the appropriate player decides to resemble them.
6. 6 Do not remove checkers from the final triangle. After one of your checkers reaches the opposite triangle, it cannot leave its limits until the end of the game. Nevertheless, such checkers can be walked within this triangle.
   • You can continue to move with those checkers that have not yet reached the opposite triangle.

Part 3 of 3: Clarifying the Rules

1. 1 Establish rules for "locked" fields. In Chinese checkers, you can "block" the opponent in order to prevent him from winning: for this, it is enough to place your checker on one of the squares of his final triangle, as a result of which he will not be able to occupy this square with his checker.
   • You can introduce a rule that a player who is blocked by a square in a triangle can exchange a blocking checker for his own.
   • You can also use the rule that if one or more checkers occupy your triangle, you can consider those checkers as your own. Thus, if the player has filled all unblocked cells with his checkers, he wins.
2. 2 Decide on the rules for possible penalties. Although this is not an official rule, many players agree that if one of them cannot make a move, he loses. In this case, the loser must remove all his checkers from the board and wait for the end of the game.
   • With the consent of all participants, you can also establish a rule that allows the player, instead of an immediate loss, to skip one move if he is not able to play any of his checkers.
3. 3 Decide when to end the game. After the winner is determined, you can continue the game or complete it. Usually the game ends after the winner is identified, and all other participants are considered to be losers. However, you can continue playing if you want everyone to reach their triangles.